Sunday, December 20, 2009

Round-Up: December 20

Here is a round-up of today's blog posts - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. You can keep up with the latest posts by using the RSS feed, or you might prefer to subscribe by email.

HODIE: ante diem tertium decimum Kalendas Ianuarias. You can add a Roman calendar as a widget in your blog or webpage, or display it as a Google Calendar: here's how.

TODAY'S POEM: Here is today's little poem, from the Poetry Widget. This is one of the tiny iambic fables by Desbillons, with a word list at NoDictionaries.com as usual:
Fecunda Sus Leaenae vertebat probro,
Catulum quod unum quolibet partu ederet
Unum, at Leonem, retulit indignans fera.
Res dignitate praevalent, non copia.
English: "The prolific sow addressed the lioness with this insult: the lion at each birth produced only one cub; the wild beast indignantly replied that she produced only one cub, but that it was a lion. Things are superior by virtue of their worthiness, not their quantity." You can read a version of this same story where it is the fox who tries to mock the lioness for her single cub.

TODAY'S TWITTER:

Vita Caesaris: You can see my IVLIVS CAESAR feed with a sentence from Plutarch's Life of Caesar each day in Greek, Latin and English. Today's portion tells us that Caesar did not fuss about just eating the food set in front of him: Quam tenui uictu usus fuerit, argumento est quod Mediolani apud hospitem suum Valerium Leonem cenans, cum is asparagum apposuisset et pro oleo recenti conditum instillasset, ipse nihil moratus comedit, amicosque indignantes increpuit: Satis erat, inquiens, non vesci iis quae displicerent, inurbani vero hominis est talem rusticitatem arguere.

Proverbiis Pipilo: You can see my Proverbia feed of Latin proverbs which I "tweet" while I am online each day (in English, too). Here's one from today: Pacem cum hominibus habe, bellum cum vitiis (English: Keep peace with people; be at war with their faults).

TODAY'S MOTTOES & PROVERBS

You can get access to all the proverb of the day scripts (also available as random proverb scripts) at the SchoolhouseWidgets.com website.

2-Word Mottoes: Today's 2-word motto is: Irrideo tempestatem (English: I scoff at the storm).

3-Word Mottoes: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Iustus et fidelis (English: Righteous and faithful - although, of course, for us ladies, it would be: iusta et fidelis).

3-Word Mottoes: Verbs: Today's 3-word motto with verb is Tenax propositi, vinco (English: Firm in purpose, I conquer - that adjective tenax takes a genitive complement, in the sense of grabbing hold "of" something).

2-Word Proverbs: Today's 2-word proverb is: Daedali alae (English: The wings of Daedalus - which worked for Daedalus, but not so for poor Icarus).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word verb-less proverb is Locus medius tutus (English: The middle place is safe - and this refers to moderation in all things... so take it easy on that holiday eggnog!).

3-Word Proverbs: Nouns: Today's 3-word proverb with verb is Medice, cura teipsum (English: Physician, heal yourself - of course, this does not have to apply only to physicians; teachers need to teach themselves, and governors need to govern themselves, etc. etc.).

Audio Latin Proverb: Today's audio Latin proverb is Mitior columba (English: More peaceful than a dove). To read a brief essay about this proverb and to listen to the audio, visit the Latin Via Proverbs blog.

Latin Animal Proverb: Today's animal proverb is Pullus de nido avolat (English: The chick flies away from the nest).

Rhyming Proverbs: Today's proverb with rhyme is: Per risum multum poteris cognoscere stultum (English: Because of his abundant laughter, you will be able to recognize a fool... which I guess marks me as a fool since I laugh a lot, probably to excess, ha ha).

Maxims of Publilius Syrus: Today's proverb from Publilius Syrus is: Paucorum improbitas est multorum calamitas (English: The wickedness of a few is a disaster for many).

Proverbs of Polydorus: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Nolite iudicare secundum faciem (English: Don't judge based on appearances - something I always have to keep in mind at the beginning of the semester, when all I can see of my students is the pictures from their photo IDs, mostly showing their faces from freshman year).

Vulgate Verse: Today's verse is Propheta in sua patria honorem non habet (John 4:44). For a translation, check out the polyglot Bible, in English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, at the Sacred Texts Archive online.

Animal Proverb from Erasmus: Today's animal proverb from Erasmus is Colubrum in sinu foves (English: You're nourishing a snake close to your breast; from Adagia 4.2.40 - you can see some illustrated snake proverbs in this Tarheel Reader: Proverbia de Serpente).

Proper Name Proverb from Erasmus: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Sero sapiunt Phryges (English: The Phrygians get wise too late; from Adagia 1.1.28 - the Prygians here are the Trojans, who wised up about the Trojan horse too late).

Elizabethan Proverb Commentary: Here is today's proverb commentary, this time a comment on two related proverbs by Conybeare: Necessitati parendum est, or Necessitas inexorabilis: Necessitie hath no lawe, or needes must that needes wille..

Greek Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is Λύκος ποιμήν (English: The pastor is a wolf... which is bad news for the sheep indeed!).

TODAY'S FABLES:

Ictibus Felicibus: Today's fable with macrons and accent marks is Muli Duo, the story of the two mules and what happened when they were attacked by robbers.

Gaudium Mundo: Today's Latin holiday songs from the Gaudium Mundo blog are: Lapsi Caelo Super Gentes, a Latin version of "Angels We Have Heard on High," along with Jesu, dulcis memoria and also Laetissimam famam, a Latin version of the Polish carol, "Wesołą nowinę."



For those of you viewing this at the blog, here is an audio performance of Jesu, dulcis memoria.




Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.